DP3600/XPR6550 PTT repair guide

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26mb04
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DP3600/XPR6550 PTT repair guide

Post by 26mb04 »

This is a guide on how to repair a PTT switch on a Motorola DP3600/XPR6550 series radio. It'll probably work for other radios too. The PTT on my particular radio didn't work very well, and I was thinking about buying a complete new housing. As I knew this was an option (albeit an expensive one) I decided to teardown the PTT assembly anyway, knowing it didn't really matter if it became a one-way process.

The symptom was: The PTT didn't activate unless the button was pressed really hard. I suspect this was probably caused by years of overzealous button mashing.

I decided to make a spacer to go between the PTT button dimple mat and the switch, to remove the excess distance now required to activate the PTT switch. I chose a thin bit of plastic from a packet of painkillers, cut to the approximate shape. The material needs to be rigid enough to transfer the force of the PTT button, but thin enough to allow release and prevent inadvertent activation. The end result was a success, with a caveat: The PTT has lost most of its clickyness. It works well, but the PTT activation is now indicated solely by the LED/screen, which is fine.

Start by removing the PTT escutcheon thing with a screwdriver or other tool. Be careful not to damage the rubber dimple mat and clear plastic protector film beneath:

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Peel back the sticky film covering the PTT circuit assembly:

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Cut the plastic or other material to size:

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Place the spacer carefully over the switch top, making it as flat as possible with minimal sharp edges (it will be there for a long time):

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Re-seat the sticky film over the top of the spacer:

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Then fit the rubber dimple mat and plastic cover back over the top. This will probably need glueing in place, but remember you might need to get back inside again to make similar repairs to the other switches in the future. I'll probably just use a tiny bit of glue at the top and bottom edges, away from the circuitry beneath. I hope this is useful, I know it's probably easier to buy a whole new front case but where's the fun in that?
Sent from my GP300 using DTMF
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